The civic body, which had to fill potholes on nearly 14,000 km of road by September 30 (Thursday), has been granted a reprieve. Given the countless bad reaches and potholes which still remain, the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) has been given new deadlines: till October 10 to fill potholes on major roads and till October 25 to fill those on interior and ward roads.
The decision was taken by Minister for Revenue R. Ashok after he chaired a meeting with BBMP officials on Thursday. These are the new and final deadlines to fill all potholes, he told reporters.
The loads from the hot mix plant were insufficient to fill potholes on interior roads. As a solution, Mr. Ashok said that local contractors could be asked to fill potholes. Every ward has funds amounting to ₹20 lakh that could be utilised. The Minister said he has directed the BBMP to blacklist the contractors of such roads.
With the tender to take up asphalting of roads damaged by the Bangalore Water Supply and Sewerage Board to lay water and underground drainage pipelines in 110 villages in the final stages, the Minister said that work would begin in a month. The government is in the process of issuing work orders, he said.
Issuing notice
Admitting to delays in demolishing 175 out of 185 buildings already identified as weak and dilapidated in 2019, Mr. Ashok said he has given the BBMP one week to issue notice to the owners of these buildings. After a week, the BBMP will write to Bangalore Electricity Supply Company (Bescom) asking it to cut off power supply to these buildings. “The BBMP will coordinate with the local police and demolish these buildings. The cost of demolition will be added to the property tax,” he said.
He also admitted that many of the buildings were not constructed as per the National Building Code and action would be taken against the engineers who approved such plans.
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